BET Her Greenlights Film ‘Black Girl, Erupted’ From Vanessa Bell Calloway & Tressa Azarel Smallwood

L to R: Vanessa Bell Calloway, Tressa Azarel Smallwood

BET Her has announced the green light for "Black Girl, Erupted," the latest addition to the "BET Her Presents: The Couch" franchise. Directed by Vanessa Bell Calloway, who also stars in the film, and executive produced by Tressa Azarel Smallwood of MegaMind Media, "Black Girl, Erupted" is the franchise's first feature film.

The movie's story, written by Tiffany Yancey, centers on Reina (Khalilah Joi), a Black woman working at a law firm who faces daily microaggressions from her boss, Mr. Horowitz (Eric Roberts), and colleagues. Reina's parents, Cassandra (Vanessa E. Williams) and Donald (Rodney Van Johnson), consistently remind her not to become the "angry Black woman" at work while favoring their younger daughter, Reilly (Janeva Stoute). The pressure to be perfect and maintain the family's image eventually takes a toll on Reina's mental health.

B.J. Britt, Kareem Grimes, Brely Evans, and Asia’h Epperson also star in the movie.

"Black Girl, Erupted" reunites Calloway with Smallwood, who oversaw the production of all the short films created for "The Couch" franchise. The series features Black women navigating their mental health journeys as they encounter various ups and downs in their diagnoses.

"I have been honored to work with BET Her to tell stories that matter, written, produced, and directed by Black women for all women," said Smallwood. "Reuniting with Vanessa Bell Calloway to produce the first feature for 'The Couch' franchise speaks to the BET Her commitment to change the narrative by cultivating Black women creatives and showcasing their work."

Launched in 2019, "BET Her Presents: The Couch" is a series of women-centered short films that highlights the next generation of Black women filmmakers. Past directors include Meagan Good, Naturi Tichina Arnold, and LisaRaye McCoy.

"BET Her is dedicated to telling stories that support and celebrate Black women in front of and behind the camera while bringing awareness to important issues directly affecting the Black community," said Lorisa Bates, VP, Content Strategy, Co-Productions & Multiplatform at BET.

Deshawn Plair, Sade Oyinade, and Kristin Iris Johnson also serve as producers on "Black Girl, Erupted," which is currently in production in Los Angeles. Calloway is represented by Zero Gravity Management.